Field Stories

Over the course of more than 10 years, Noroeste Sustentable (NOS), in collaboration with other organizations and neighboring communities, engaged in the restoration of a sea scallop fishery that is of cultural and economic value to the Manglito fishing community in La Paz, Mexico. Early in the process it became clear that the changes required to restore the fishery were beyond the policy and regulation level; they involved deeply personal shifts, reframing the role of fishermen to include stewardship, and engaging with economic and educational opportunities equally across genders. Ultimately, collective learning and listening processes, seeded by members of the Academy and adapted and carried forward by local community leaders, reshaped the culture of relationships and values around the use of this resource — for the benefit of all.

The Mississippi Basin spans 31 states (an area that is 40% of the USA). This is the story of The Nature Conservancy (TNC)’s effort to create a collaborative structure across those states using a system approach to reach bold, measurable nutrient reduction in the Mississippi delta. TNC’s goal is to reduce nitrates in the Mississippi River by 30% by 2030. The collaborative work across states and TNC departments started in 2013, but it was not until a systems map was developed that a shared understanding and vision became more palpable and momentum took root. 

In 2016, the Academy supported the deepening of awareness-based systems change, working with a large number of TNC team members. This process reframed how teams related to impact and, given the highly uncertain environment, led them to build learning experiments instead of developing multi-year strategy plans. The process illuminated out-of-the box solutions, such as slowing down the movement of nutrients by investing in reconnecting the river to its floodplain, and working with farmers to optimize the use of fertilizers and reduce nitrates.